What people are saying about the fate of the U.S. stock market.

E.S. Browning, The Wall Street Journal: "The Washington mess of the past few weeks was ugly and disruptive for financial markets. It could do more damage in December as investors contemplate resumed acrimony when 2014 arrives. Yet it all has a silver lining. The federal government's shutdown and threat of default on U.S. debt spawned anxiety among businesses and consumers, hurt the United States' image around the world and took about half a percentage point off fourth-quarter economic growth, economists estimate. But the economy kept growing. Inflation stayed low."

Jesse Colombo, Forbes: "I appreciate bull markets like any normal person, but I want it to be predicated on sustainable growth. ... Unfortunately, I believe that the current bull market has devolved into yet another bubble. ... The global economic recovery is actually what I call a 'Bubblecovery' ... that is driven by inflating post-2009 bubbles in China, emerging markets, Australia, Canada, Northern and Western European housing, U.S. housing, U.S. healthcare, U.S. higher education, global bonds, and tech. ... Only a few of these bubbles need to pop to create a devastating economic shock that reverberates around the world, which means that another economic crisis is already 'baked into the cake.'"

Gail MarksJarvis, Chicago Tribune: "If you are an investor, you don't have to wait until Halloween to get your fill of candy. The Federal Reserve is going to keep throwing massive quantities of treats at you this month and maybe through next spring. ... While that might seem to defy logic among people who think stocks rise when the economy is vibrant or on the verge of vibrancy, the Standard & Poor's 500 closed at a record 1,754.67 on Tuesday — not because the economy looked strong, but rather because the economy can't shake the blahs."

Ben Levisohn, Barron's: "Harry Houdini was famous for his escapes. ... This bull market might soon be famous for escapes of its own. Consider: Since the rally began, in March 2009, there has been the flash crash, the Greek default drama, the U.S. debt-ceiling debacle, the Standard & Poor's credit-rating downgrade of the U.S., the sequester and the great taper scare. Each of these, we were told, could have ushered in a new bear market. Instead, the S&P 500 squirmed out of the traps and headed higher. And for its latest trick, the market had to avoid the double whammy of a government shutdown and a potential default."

Shah Gilani, Money Morning: "Nothing goes up forever. Not the Federal Reserve's balance sheet, not global debt levels and not stock markets ... even when governments don't shut down. ... If the Fed-induced pump priming of financial assets isn't backstopped by strong and real global GDP growth, the increasing debt burden of the world's citizens will act as the ultimate pinprick that explodes the United States' inflated financial assets bubble ... and other global bubbles."

Tim Price, Money Week: " The market trades at over 24 times historic earnings. That strongly suggests that U.S. stock markets are significantly overvalued. Given that the U.S. stock market is also the largest in the world, any decline in U.S. stocks is likely to have a gravitational impact on stock markets internationally. ... It strikes me that if there were ever a time to have all your investment eggs in one basket, now is not that time. The future is simply too uncertain."